"Haru-chan, dinner's ready!" Makoto called out as he was setting out the table.
The delicious aroma of fried fish attracted the attention of the sleeping Haruka, who was completely submerged in the waters of the bath tub; blue strands of hair floating and unmoved with the stillness of the water, with peaceful eyes slowly opening.
Due to his over-protective nature, Makoto was filled with worry that his boyfriend may have drowned in the bath tub, and so he rushed up the stairs and started banging on the wooden door. "Haru, can you hear me?" cried Makoto.
No reply.
A few attempts later, the door flung open and slammed the wall, a panicked Makoto standing by the door, gasping for air. "HARU!"
The figure on the bath tub rose from the waters, showing off the well built body he possessed. Without a word, he proceeded to dry his body. And when he was done, he quickly changed into some fresh clothes, left the bathroom and into the dining table, totally ignoring Makoto as he did so.
Something didn't feel right for Makoto. It was as if Haruka was deep in thought, or even upset. It has happened too frequently: the way Haruka spends an hour in the bath, the way he prefers to sleep alone, and even leave the house after dinner only to come back the next day. He began to follow Haruka until he reached the dining table where he found him poking at his food with a fork.
"Haru, I made some mackerel," Makoto smiled. "It's your favourite, right?"
Haruka stopped to stare at the plate of food before him. He scanned the fish, looking at all the stabs he made. Deep, dark, multiple holes, like a shark had attacked the vulnerable fish. Like a shark. "Rin..."
"What?"
"Hmm?" The dark haired teen looked into Makoto's confused eyes.
"You said—"
Sapphires stared into emerald. "I'm not hungry," Haruka snapped sharply, jolting from his seat. Then, he clenched his fists and bit his lip.
Makoto's eyes widened and stood up. Did Haruka just whisper Rin's name? "What do you mean you're not hungry? What's wrong?"
"I have to go." Haruka said grimly, making his way to the front door.
The next day, at dinner time, Makoto and Haruka had the typical schedule. They would eat, and as usual, Haruka would inform Makoto that he would be leaving. What he didn't know is that Makoto would be following him.
Just two minutes after Haruka left, Makoto left the house to find Haruka by the bus stop, which was quite unusual at this time. Once he saw Haruka step in the bus, he hopped on his bicycle and followed after the bus. After passing a familiar road and seeing familiar buildings, he finally worked out that all this time Haruka wanted to visit the old swimming club. Makoto gave a sigh of relief. "So that was his intention," he whispered.
Makoto decided that he should return home just in case Haruka might see him, but before he was about to leave, he heard a voice call out Rin's name. Curiosity took over him once again, thus, making him follow the source of the sound. It led him to the swimming pool where he witnessed Haruka holding a certain picture. He watched as Haruka caressed the image, how he chanted 'Rin' several times, and saw how content Haruka looked. It was a look he has never received from his lover- a look of pure happiness. Then, it dawned on Makoto why Haruka never looked at him that way.
He wasn't Rin.
The next day came by as quickly as yesterday.
"I'm going." Haruka said after finishing his dinner.
Makoto quickly seized Haruka by the wrist, his sheer strength almost crushing the fragile and porcelain-like skin. "Haru, where are you going?" Makoto asked. Of course he knew where he was going. Now he knows where he would be going. He would go to the abandoned swimming club, swim there and think about Rin, and forget that he was ever in a relationship with him; and come back home, saying he needed to clear his mind off – yes – to clear his mind off his current lover... and think only of Rin. So, when he comes back home he wouldn't have to look at those green hazy eyes, and instead, replace them with red piercing daggers. But he had to pretend he didn't know, to save his relationship.
Haruka stared into Makoto's eyes, and then at his wrist, which was turning into a bruising blue colour. "Let me go."
"Haru, please don't leave," Makoto pleaded, his grip on the other's wrist getting tighter and tighter. He knew his relationship with Haruka wasn't happy and stable, they had arguments sometimes, but relationships are never perfect. It could still work, even if he liked someone else. It could still work.
"Makoto let me go!" Haruka yelled, still unable to free himself from the restrains on his wrists despite his forlorn attempts. He yanked and struggled with more force but Makoto had captured his other arm, pinning him against the front door.
"Makoto..."
With one glance at Haruka's eyes, Makoto snapped back to reality, realising what he was doing; he relaxed his muscled and his head dropped. He released Haruka from his grip, and dropped to the floor, burying his face against his palms. "Haru, please..."
A slam of the door and Haruka was gone.
Outside, Haruka stood with a smile on his face. He was content. Finally, he was free...